And You Are?
by Angela3275
Summary: **On Hiatus** A visitor from Brennan's past makes Booth and the Squints question how well they know her. Possible spoilers through late Season 4, just to be safe. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: And You Are?**

**Pairing: Booth/Brennan  
Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. No infringement intended.**

**Author's Note: A visitor from Brennan's past makes the team question how well they know her.

* * *

**

Patrick Weaver walked into the Jeffersonian feeling both nervous and excited. He had been thinking about Tempe for _years_, but had no idea how to contact her, until now. When he happened across the newspaper article about her and her involvement with the FBI, he was floored. He had known that she was interested in being a forensic anthropologist, but he hadn't expected her to branch out to that. He was definitely impressed, and couldn't wait to see her. He only hoped that she would feel the same way after all this time.

He went into what he would describe as the lobby area and marveled at the equipment. He looked up to the balconies and wondered which office might be hers. He realized the people working up on the platform were looking at him curiously.

"Hi. I'm looking for Tempe," he said and they continued to stare at him. "Dr. Brennan? Do you know where I could find her?" He tried again. A blue-eyed man with a reddish-hair and beard stepped forward.

"She's in her office. Is she expecting you?" He was starting to feel very uncomfortable, not quite to the point of sweating, but pretty damn close.

"Uh, no, she's not. I wanted to surprise her. Will you tell her that Patrick Weaver is here?" He said hoping that giving his full name would make him seem less… threatening? He supposed it was a good thing that he was making sure she was safe. The man didn't say anything but headed up to the balcony he had noticed earlier.

He looked back to the other person on the platform. A beautiful brunette was staring at him now and smiling. She came down the stairs and he hoped that she was friendlier than that man had been.

"Hi, I'm Angela, and you are?" She had crossed her arms across her chest.

"Patrick Weaver," he said anxiously.

"Yeah, I got that part, pal. What do you want with Bren?" So 'friendly' wasn't a common personality trait in Jeffersonian employees, he thought. Bren? Must be short for Brennan. Cute, but not as cute as 'Tempe'.

"Uh, I – " luckily he didn't have to finish that sentence as he saw her approaching. Wow, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. He had seen her picture in the news of course, but it hadn't done her justice. He would never forget those eyes as long as he lived. He smiled at her, but she didn't return it. Instead, she took his arm and led him up to her office and shut the door.

* * *

"What the hell was that about?" asked Hodgins.

"I have no idea, but I'm sure I want to," Angela said. Bren hadn't mentioned to her that she was seeing anyone. Although she considered herself very perceptive, she considered the possibility that she had missed something. No, she got the distinct vibe that this was some sort of reunion.

They were both lost in thought when they heard Booth's voice from behind them.

"Where's Bones?" he asked cheerfully. Angela and Hodgins both pointed to her closed door. Booth looked perplexed. "What's she doing up there?"

"We were just wondering the same thing," said Hodgins.

"Huh?" Booth asked Angela this time.

"A ruggedly handsome man came in here a few minutes ago looking for 'Tempe'. Bren came down, took him by the arm, and – " she trailed off and pointed to the closed door again. She looked at Hodgins this time. "What did she say when you told her who was here?"

"Nothing. I told her he was here, gave her his name, and you saw the rest." Hodgins didn't like not having all of the pieces to the puzzle.

"What did he say his name was?" Booth asked.

"Patrick Weaver," Hodgins and Angela said in unison.

"I need a better description than 'ruggedly handsome'… Hodgins?" Angela smiled at him. She thought it was cute that he was being overprotective, not that she wasn't having some of the same concerns herself.

"Uh, he's probably your height and build, your age, light brown hair and green eyes. What are you going to run a background check on him?" Hodgins had said it as a joke, but Booth's reaction clearly showed that he was serious.

Booth pulled out his phone and sat down where he had a clear view of her door. Angela smiled at Hodgins and he shrugged. Neither of them was going to be leaving the platform until she reappeared, but they at least pretended to get some work done on the platform.

* * *

Brennan walked into her office with Patrick. She had been extremely surprised when Hodgins told her that he was here. Here, at her workplace, in D.C. She actually was happy to see him, she just didn't want to explain his presence or their relationship to everyone else. She closed her door behind them and turned to look at him.

"Patrick, wow. You've change, but you still look very much like the man I remember." She smiled at him and he seemed to relax a little bit. She wondered if Angela and Hodgins had said something to upset him or if he was just nervous about seeing her again, too.

"You too, Tempe, you're breathtaking." She couldn't help but smile wider.

"What are you doing here?" She asked suddenly.

"Same old Tempe. Just as subtle as ever," he grinned.

"Sorry. It really is good to see you," she sat down on the couch and motioned for him to join her.

"I saw the article in the paper about you and that FBI guy. It said where you worked now and I couldn't resist coming to see you. I've wondered about you all this time, you know. The first few years I had hoped that you would call or send me an update or something. After that, I just wondered how you were doing every now and then." He was looking at his hands now. She thought that was either indicative of sadness or embarrassment. Knowing Patrick, it was probably a little bit of both.

"I've thought about you, too," she admitted. "I figured a clean break would be easier on you." She knew he would be hurt, but she wasn't looking for the same thing he was. He was nodding, but she knew he didn't agree. "This really isn't a good time," she said apologetically. "How long are you in town for?" She asked him and he looked at her.

"Not sure yet, but long enough for dinner. Will you meet me later?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure. Where are you staying?" He gave her the name of the hotel and she agreed to meet him in the lobby at eight tonight. She walked him to the door and opened it.

"I'll see you later," he said and impulsively wrapped her into a tight embrace before smiling and walking away. Dammit, she thought. She hadn't expected him to hug her, and if he was going to, she wished he had done it when the door was still closed. She looked down and noticed three pairs of eyes watching her intently. She groaned and shut her door again, knowing all too well that it wouldn't stay that way for long. She had not expected Patrick to resurface.

* * *

Booth had gotten the details he wanted while he was waiting for this guy to leave Bones alone. Patrick Weaver, 36, single, small business owner – mechanic, no criminal record. He was disappointed that it hadn't revealed more about him. Just then the door opened and he watched the scene very closely.

Bones stood next to Patrick and he noticed that she didn't look distressed or uncomfortable. He said something and then hugged her. Booth _did not_ miss the fact that Patrick had definitely caught her off-guard. She looked down and saw them watching and could see that she was angry, and her closing the door only confirmed it.

He stood up quickly to follow the path Patrick had taken. He knew he could just ask Bones who this guy was, but she was _impossible_ at times. What could be better than getting the information directly from the horse's mouth? He smiled and picked up his pace.

When he saw the man a short distance ahead, he called out to him, "Patrick!" He turned around with a curious expression and waited for Booth to approach. Good boy, he thought, not that he wouldn't have enjoyed a good chase.

"Hi, Patrick, how's it going?" Booth asked casually.

"Um, fine. You're that FBI guy that works with Tempe, right? I saw you two in the paper recently." Patrick smiled at him. That's right, Patrick. I'm your friend, Booth thought.

"Yeah, Special Agent Seeley Booth," he said and shook his hand. "So how do you know 'Tempe'?" He had never cared for that nickname for her. He said it to give the guy the impression that they were on the same page.

"Well, I really don't anymore… I haven't since her since she was 18." Patrick said and Booth noticed a wistful expression on the man's face.

"Oh, so you two were like childhood friends?" Booth was feeling a little better now. "That's nice."

"I'm sorry, I assumed you and Tempe were friends. She must not be close enough to open up about her personal life, and ex-husbands definitely fall into that category right?" He laughed. "I probably shouldn't say any more. Nice to meet you, Agent Booth." Patrick turned to exit the Jeffersonian.

Ex-husband? Not close enough? Ex-husband! He marched back toward her office.

* * *

**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: And You Are?**

**Pairing: Booth/Brennan  
Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. No infringement intended.**

**Author's Note: A visitor from Brennan's past makes the team question how well they know her.

* * *

**

Brennan _heard_ Booth before she saw him through the glass. She was surprised it had taken him this long to come to her office. He swung open the door and closed it behind him less than gently. He was eerily quiet and he was glaring at her.

"You have an ex-husband?" He said angrily.

"I know," she said simply.

"So it's true? You're admitting that you were _married_?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she admitted quietly and held his gaze.

"You don't believe in marriage." He was clearly confused, not that she could fault him for that.

"I know," she said as she watched him pace back in forth in front of her desk.

"Stop saying that," he said as he stopped to stand directly in front of her.

"Then stop telling me things I already know, Booth," she stood up so that they were only inches apart. "I don't have time for this right now. I have to finish up so I can leave work on time tonight." She moved to go around him but he blocked her path.

"You're going out with him tonight?" His voice was low and she could feel his breath on her skin.

"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do," she stepped to the side and this time he didn't try to stop her.

"I'm coming over later, so unless you want to have this conversation in front of _Patrick_, I would come home alone." He said as he walked out of her office.

Wow, she didn't know if she had ever seen Booth that angry with her before. What a mess Patrick had caused already. She could kill him for showing up like this, if she hadn't been so happy to see him, though she thought he would be angrier with her. She really did have a lot of work to do, so she kept herself busy and it helped to keep her mind off the day's events.

* * *

Booth sat outside Bones' apartment waiting for her to come home. He had been way too pissed off to think about details at the time, but he wished he had some idea as to when she'd be back. He had thought about his conversation with her _ex-husband_ all day. Bones, who didn't believe in love or marriage, had been married. Had she also been in love? Had she lied to him and everyone else about her beliefs? She had always sounded so convincing, but how can she do one thing and say another?

Wait, the guy had said that he hadn't seen her since she was 18 years old, didn't he? Somehow he hadn't forgotten about that part until now. Why would she get married so young? How long had they been married? Booth was bouncing his knee anxiously while continuously checking for her to show up. He had so many questions and he hoped that she would be a little more forthcoming with answers this time.

* * *

It was almost eleven when he saw her. He got out of the car before she had even come to a complete stop. She looked amazing, which made him even more furious. He knew she had seen him, but she wasn't waiting for him. When he got to her apartment, he watched her take off her heels and then grab two beers out of the fridge before moving to sit on the couch. He wasn't ready to sit because he was still furious. He _tried_ not to notice her long legs in the knee-length dress, or the way the top of it made her cleavage look even larger.

"You're angry with me," she said, breaking the silence and bringing him back from his naughty thoughts.

"I know," he said, copying her briefness from earlier. "I want to know why you lied to me, to all of us." His voice had come out shakier than usual.

"I understand why you're upset given my stance on marriage, but that doesn't excuse your testosterone-induced behavior today, Booth." She said and he would have laughed if he wasn't still so agitated. "I don't even know where to start," her lack of confidence piqued his interest even more. "Please sit down," she said and he complied.

"I married Patrick to get out of the system" she said and he immediately regretted being such an ass about the whole situation. He should have trusted that she would have a reason to go against her own beliefs, not that she lied about how she felt about them.

"Bones," he tried to redeem himself a little.

"Do you want to hear this or not, Booth?" She said and he could tell she was irritated as well. "You're not going to like it," she said and he groaned. If _she_ knew he wasn't going to like it, he _really_ wasn't going to. She glanced at him and he noticed that she seemed anxious now. "I met Patrick… at church." His head snapped up at that and she bit her lip.

His blood was boiling. So much for being relaxed. "You what? At _church_? Oh, this just keeps getting better. You went to church, too?" He got up and started pacing again. His mind and his heart were racing.

"Booth, sit down. You forced me to do this, so let me do it." He figured she wasn't going to put up with much more of his antics, so he tried to settle his emotions long enough to hear her out.

"How about tell me how you met? Start simple," he said trying to help get this show on the road.

"The family I was… staying with at the time was religious, so naturally we attended church every Sunday." She paused and took a deep breath. "That family, despite their outward appearances," she stopped again and he had a feeling in his gut.

"The ones… the plate… and the trunk?" He said quietly and she nodded. No wonder she didn't believe in God, he thought…

"I went to three families in the first four months after Russ left. The first two were nice enough, though they didn't want an awkward teenager, they wanted a _child_ to complete their family." She looked sad and he again regretted being so harsh with her, though he was still disappointed that they weren't 'close enough' to share this with him on her own.

"The third family, they –" Booth reached out to take her hand and she let him, "they looked at foster care as a job; they did it for the money. There were four other children already when they took me in." She was looking down at the carpet and he stroked her hand lightly with his thumb while waiting for her to continue. "Their home was beautiful, in a nice neighborhood, we had new clothes,… and we attended church." He wanted to hold her and take all of those painful memories away. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through.

"The time I broke the plate wasn't the last time that I was disciplined rather harshly, and it wasn't just me that was subjected to that type of punishment. Their youngest child was 6, Booth." He felt sick to his stomach. He didn't know how anyone could do that to another human being, much less children. He wondered if that was also why she had such a soft-spot when it came to children now, not _just_ because she had been abandoned by her parents, but because of what she had gone through afterward.

"Needless to say, I spent as much time away from their home as possible. The church was within walking distance from their house, so I chose to walk back after instead of riding with them," she said and she still wasn't looking at him. He saw the tears in her eyes and it made his heart break. Way to go, Seeley, you're going to make her cry. The fact that she kept saying 'their' home wasn't lost on him either.

"That's where I met Patrick. After a couple weeks of walking the same route back, he started talking to me. He was very intelligent and he was nice to me. I was 16 and he was 18 at the time. We started spending more time together and it didn't take him long to figure out what was going on with me. A few months later, he came up with a plan to help me." Help?... so that's why she married him?

"As much as I wanted out of that house, I didn't think it was a good idea. He convinced me that it would work, and he was right." She downed half of her beer. Liquid courage, he thought.

"Patrick was a bright engineering student. He had been given a full scholarship as well as loans to pay for his expenses. He was living on his own attending college," the tears that had been threatening to fall were finally released. He released her hand and lightly rubbed her back, giving her an opening if she decided to seek comfort in his arms. She didn't.

"Bones, I'm not following. I thought I was, but what does that have to do with why you married him?" He suddenly felt like the dumbest FBI Agent in the world for not following her around that bend.

"They never loved me, Booth. I knew that from the beginning. Patrick, he –" she paused again, "he went to them and asked for their consent to marry me. He didn't want their _approval_ of course, but he did need a parent or guardian to make it legal at my age. Initially they refused, until he offered them money." She hugged him then and he held her tightly. "They took it, Booth, without hesitation," she said dejectedly against his neck. Booth now had more respect for Patrick than words could express. He was one of the good guys, like him, he thought. He felt so bad for Bones though. He couldn't imagine what that had felt like.

"I'm a horrible person, Booth," she said still snug against him.

"Bones, no… how could you say that?" Why would she think _she_ was a horrible person? He was lost again. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Several reasons, actually. I left the other children there to be subjected to… them. I took advantage of Patrick's kindness and I completely ruined his life," she was crying again. Oh, Bones. He hugged her again.

"He loved you," Booth said simply.

"I know, that makes it even worse," she said honestly. "I didn't know that he planned to offer them money. I don't know if he planned that or if that was his reaction after they refused. I let him do it though, Booth. What kind of person does that?" She was drinking _his_ beer now, but he didn't care. He was still in shock and trying to process everything she had told him.

"Did you love him?" He hadn't meant to ask that, but he wanted to know.

"No. I never lied to you, Booth. I don't believe in romantic love, I don't believe in God, and I don't agree with marriage. I did what I had to do to make sure that I lived to see 18," she wasn't crying anymore and she was trying to put on a brave face.

"Patrick and I – we never – we didn't have a sexual relationship. I moved in with him and he had to drop out of school because he was no longer able to pay for it. I _let him_ give up his dreams. He never went back to school, Booth. _I_ did that to him. And how did I repay him?" She was pacing now, clearly upset with herself. "I turned 18, had our marriage annulled, and I left. I haven't seen him since. I mean we said our goodbyes, but after everything he did for me, I just walked away." Oh, God.. new tears. She was crying again and went to the bathroom suddenly, which gave him a moment to process everything.

So a church-going family had taken Bones in, abused her and the others and took money as a payoff. How he would love to get his hands on them! He knew what it felt like to be an abused child and he didn't wish that on anyone. Patrick though, wow, he still didn't know what to say. Booth wasn't sure that _he_ would have made such a sacrifice at that age. Now _that_ takes a lot of heart, he thought.

He watched as Bones returned to the living room. She looked angry now and much less sad. "Those people believed in God and look at what they did. Everyone at the church had to know what was going on, nobody could have been that oblivious to our obvious injuries. I was already leaning toward Atheism, but that did it for me, Booth. Your 'invisible friend' wasn't there for me then." She finished off his beer and sat next to him on the couch again.

"Bones, that doesn't – " she glared at him and he stopped.

"Please don't make up excuses, Booth. Just don't," he could see that now was not the time to explain his views on religion. Had she forgotten that he was also an abused child? She must know that even he had questioned why God would make him endure something like that.

"Why doesn't Patrick hate me, Booth. _I_ would hate me," she said and he knew that she meant it. She didn't understand. He sat back and listened as she told him what had happened with Patrick at dinner earlier.

* * *

**TBC... starting with Brennan's talk with Patrick during dinner.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: And You Are?**

**Pairing: Booth/Brennan  
Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. No infringement intended.**

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone that reviewed/favorite/alerted! This will probably only be a couple more chapters, just an FYI.

* * *

**

Brennan sat across the table from Patrick in a quiet corner of the restaurant. How she loved the perks of being a well-known author! After they placed their orders for dinner, Brennan filled Patrick in on how she became involved with the FBI and with Booth. She was more relaxed now and she was reminded of how well they used to get along.

"Do you remember all those times we stayed up late talking?" She asked him suddenly. He smiled and she knew he did.

"I do. You always had so much to say, Tempe, about everything. I loved it," he said and looked away shyly. "I really missed you, and it took me a while to get used to the fact that you weren't coming back." She was looking at him now, and the expression on his face is one that she had seen almost daily back then.

"Patrick, I – " she sighed. This was not going as well as she had hoped, but there was no running away from this. Their food arrived and interrupted her thoughts. Neither one of them made a move to eat.

"Tempe, it's okay. I know you didn't feel the same way about me. I realized early on that you saw me as more of an older brother than a husband. Rationally, as you would say, I knew that you would leave to live your life, but it didn't make it hurt any less," he said glumly.

"What you did for me – what I did to you – I ruined your life," she finally managed to say part of what she had been feeling. He looked shocked at her statement.

"Tempe, no! No, it wasn't like that at all," he reached across the table and took her hand. "I don't have any regrets. I did the right thing, maybe the unconventional thing, but I would do it again in a heartbeat." She was listening, but still didn't understand.

"There wasn't anything stopping me from going back to school. It wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime chance, Tempe. I paid off my debts but I _chose_ not to go back. Sure, at eighteen I thought I wanted to be an engineer, but who really knows at that age? Well, besides you," he teased. "You know I loved working with cars and working with my hands, too. I was happy, I _am_ happy. I own my own business, and I while my Mr. Fix-It status isn't as glamorous as yours, I'm satisfied with where I'm at in life," he smiled at her, probably trying to ease her mind.

"I still think I should apologize for turning your life upside down. I've thought about how I could make it up to you, but I don't know how to repay you," she said and was humiliated by the tears in her eyes. She removed her hand from his to dab at her eyes.

"That was always my undoing, you know," he said quietly and she looked at him in confusion. "You usually looked so sad, and although I didn't know why at first, I would have gladly given anything to change that. Once we got to know each other – " He had to take a moment before continuing. He was visibly upset now. "Tempe, when you told me about some of the things they did to you… you _couldn't_ have stopped me. If you had said no to my little scheme, I would have kept trying, or come up with something else.

"But why?" She didn't understand him. Back then she hadn't tried, she was just grateful for the escape route.

"I don't know, Tempe. I just couldn't ignore it. I felt this urge," he placed his hand on his abdomen, "to do the right thing. I couldn't _not_ do right by you," he said and she smiled because it sounded familiar.

"Your gut? Now you sound like Booth," she said knowing that he wouldn't understand. "I seem to attract intuitive White Knights," she said and he smiled this time.

"Or Mr. Fix-Its?" he said still smiling. "I talked to him yesterday – Booth, that is. He seems nice."

"Yes, he is. Booth is a… wonderful partner," she said plainly and he quirked his eyebrow at her. She chose to ignore it and change the subject.

"I found them, or rather they found me," she said abruptly and he stared at her.

"Your parents?" She nodded in response to his question.

"And Russ," she watched Patrick's expression change. He had never been fond of Russ because he couldn't understand how he could just leave her like that. "My mother died in 1993, but my father and Russ are both… fine," she thought it best not to get into the whole sordid story at this point. "I've only known that for a few years now though."

"I'm sorry, Tempe. Are you close with your dad and your brother now?" She shook her head, again not wanting to discuss that right now. "Are you close with anyone?" She considered her small group of friends. While Booth and Angela seemed to understand her better than most people, they really didn't know that much about her biographically. She disclosed personal information occasionally, but nobody _really_ knew her. She shook her head again.

"You can't live your life like that forever, not if you want to be happy. You have to let somebody in," he said pleading with her.

"Why haven't you taken your own advice?" she asked glancing at his bare ring finger.

"I'm working on it… I'm actually engaged, and getting married in October," he said and grinned.

"While I stand by my opinion of marriage, I wish you the best. Congratulations, Patrick," she said and smiled back.

"Does that mean you won't come to the wedding?" He smiled briefly before putting on a more serious face, "I'd like to stay in touch this time, Tempe."

"Okay," she said and he held out his hand. She laughed at him but shook his hand. He reminded her of Booth, she thought and then looked down at their forgotten meals. "What do you say we get take out and go back to your hotel?" He agreed, so she called their server over to explain the situation. When Patrick held out his arm for her, she took it.

They stopped for pizza on the way back to his hotel. With all of the 'tough stuff' out of the way, they took the time to catch up and just enjoy each other's company. She left him with a parting hug and a promise to remain in contact. She walked out to her car dreading the trip back, knowing that Booth was waiting for her back at her apartment. She only hoped that he had calmed down…

* * *

Booth had been glad that she had supplied so much information tonight. Since Patrick had shown up, he had been thinking about how little he truly knew about her past. He knew that she had a rough upbringing, but he had never expected such completely un-Bones-like behavior. She actually had lied to him about one thing, but he could see why now.

"You told me your grandfather got you out of the system, Bones," he said as he looked at her leaning against the back of the couch. She was on her fourth beer now, and he knew that she would be feeling the effects of the alcohol in the morning. She looked at him and sighed.

"I know. 'Grandfather' seemed a lot less interesting than 'ex-husband'," and he knew that she was right. _That_ would have brought up a lot of questions.

"I just thought that you and I – that maybe we could talk to each other… about stuff," he didn't know how to explain it any better. That statement Patrick had made about them not being 'close enough' was really nagging at him.

"What's the point in bringing up all of those bad memories, Booth?" She still sounded angry.

He immediately regretted getting into this with her. That gave her an opening to ask about his own childhood and he didn't want to go there. He felt like a hypocrite, but he was trying to help give _her_ some insight, not the other way around.

"It just does, okay. Can you honestly tell me that you don't feel any better at all after talking to Patrick or me?... you know, getting all of this stuff out in the open?" He watched her consider his question.

"Well, right now I feel awful, Booth. I suppose that, much like my parent's disappearance, it _is_ better knowing than not knowing. I had thought all of this time that he would be resentful and that he wouldn't want to see me again. I was wrong," she said and started to get emotional again.

"And telling me, Bones?" He asked.

"While telling you wasn't _my_ idea," she glared at him remembering his earlier antics, "I have to admit that you have helped me to understand his actions a bit more." She was looking at him now and smiling.

If he had been drinking, he could have blamed what came next on the alcohol... He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He had one hand on her lower back and the other was in her hair, holding her to him. "You can tell me anything, you know. I'm not going anywhere, Bones," he whispered against her skin and he felt her tremble.

He began to rub her back lightly and was glad that she didn't resist or pull back. After a few minutes, he realized why – Bones had fallen asleep curled up in his arms. It could be the emotional day or all the beer, but he found it utterly adorable that she had been so relaxed in his arms. He knew he should probably wake her up and say goodnight, move so she could stretch out on the couch, or carry her to bed… but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side.

Instead, Booth reclined a little further and turned off the lamp. He pulled her a little closer and closed his eyes. He let the sound of her breathing lull him to sleep.

* * *

The pair of eyes that had been trailing Brennan all night were now very wide as they watched her light go out and _didn't_ see a _very sexy_ FBI Agent exiting the apartment. Angela couldn't resist following Brennan from the Jeffersonian to Patrick's hotel. After watching Brennan's odd reaction to him, followed by Booth's anger, she had to know what was going on. Sure, she could wait until she cornered Brennan to get the truth, but she wasn't that patient.

At the restaurant Angela had been sure that they were romantically involved at some point. She had watched as she let him take her hand and as she had _cried_. That had to mean something, she thought. They were both so engrossed in the conversation that neither had taken a bite. She had followed them back to his hotel, and although they had brought food, she couldn't help but assume that they were going to have sex. Normally she would be happy for Bren, but she wanted her to be having hot, sweaty sex with _Booth_… not Patrick.

She had debated about going home or waiting to see when, or if, she left… and of course curiosity got the best of her. Bren had only been there about an hour, but it had been plenty of time to get naked and roll around with Patrick. Not good, she thought.

She arrived at Bren's apartment and saw a very angry Booth right behind her. Uh oh, she thought. She had waited a while to see if Booth was calmer when he left, but apparently he was staying the night. "Oh, Sweetie… you have _so much_ explaining to do!" Angela said out loud. Did she sleep with Patrick?... and who was he anyway? Did she sleep with Booth? Argh! She didn't know how she was going to make it until morning to grill her best friend on her evening activities!

* * *

**A/N: The grandfather reference is part of why I started this fic to begin with. In The Boy in the Bush, Brennan said "I was a foster child until my grandfather got me out". However, in Stargazer in a Puddle, Brennan says to Max, "You told Russ and me we didn't have any grandparents." Max also says to Brennan, "I know your mother and I told you you didn't have grandparents". Anyway, that made me think that she had lied to Booth early on and it prompted me to write my own version as to why.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: And You Are?**

**Pairing: Booth/Brennan  
Rating: T**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bones. No infringement intended.**

**Author's Note: Thanks for your patience. I'm on vacation until Friday, but I couldn't resist writing and posting! Does that make me an addict? ;)  


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Brennan woke up and slowly remembered the moments before she had fallen asleep. Good thing she could handle her liquor or else she'd be feeling a lot worse. She looked up at Booth to see him sound asleep with his arm still wrapped around her. She gently entangled herself from him and made her way to the bathroom. She showered, changed and made coffee before rousing her partner. It was almost eight and she had a lot of work to do today. Brennan was surprised that he wasn't more of a light sleeper, especially given his military background and the fact that he had a child. Weren't children notorious for waking early _and_ inherently mischievous by nature? Surely he wouldn't be this unaware during his weekends with Parker? Breaking away from her mental tangent, she tried again to rouse Booth.

Her voice and insistent shaking must have finally gotten through to him. He groaned and peeked at her quickly before closing his eyes again. "Booth, you have to wake up," she said sounding annoyed.

"It's Saturday," he said like that explained everything.

"Yes, Booth, I know. I have to go to the Jeffersonian," That did the trick; he was looking at her now, though glaring would probably be a better word.

"Ah, Bones… no work today. I refuse, I'm tired." He said and almost looked like he was pouting.

"You don't have to work, but I do," she said as she made him a cup of coffee.

"They why did you wake me up?" he asked automatically.

"This is my apartment," She said and handed him the cup.

"Afraid I'm going to steal something or rifle through your drawers?" He grinned at her and she just smiled back.

Booth was very disappointed that she had woken up before him. He would have loved to just be able to hold her and pretend that she was his. Instead, he woke up to her all ready for the day and kicking him out of her apartment… not exactly what he had in mind!

"So, Bones, want to meet for lunch or something?" he had asked her as they walked out to their cars together. She must've had to think about it because it took her a minute to answer.

"Well, since I got a late start this morning," she gave him a dirty look, "I will probably be working through lunch." He should have known that Dr. Workaholic wouldn't take a break on a Saturday! "However, I would probably be available for dinner if you don't already have plans," she said finally.

He smiled and was glad that she had given him something to look forward to. He found that he missed her when she wasn't around and tried his damndest to always be near here. "Sounds great, Bones. Call me later when you know about what time," he said and she nodded before getting into her car.

* * *

Angela was _very_ ticked off at her best friend right now. She had called Brennan at least seven times in the last hour, but she wasn't answering her phone. She decided to march her ass over to her apartment and get her to tell her everything. If she happened to see a naked, or half-naked, Booth in there too, she wouldn't exactly complain either. When she got to the apartment and didn't see Brennan's car, she knew exactly where to look. How Bren could have sex with one (or two?) men in one night and still go to work on a Saturday was beyond her.

She found Brennan in her office looking at images of ancient remains that definitely could wait until she was brought up to speed. Although she was pretty sure they were alone in the building, she shut the door just to preempt a 'not the proper venue' argument from Brennan. She looked up at the sound of the door closing and Angela smiled at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sweetie, we need to talk. I _know_ you have a lot to tell me," she said before grabbing her hand and leading her to sit next to her on the couch.

"Ang, I don't know – "

"Oh, please. Do not even play dumb with me, Bren. I'm not blind. This Patrick guy means something to you, which obviously pissed off Studly. Care to fill in the blanks?" Angela asked. She didn't want to reveal everything she knew yet, hoping that Brennan would see that she wasn't going to let her out of this one easily.

Brennan sighed and said, "Patrick and I are… old friends. I haven't seen him since I was 18." Angela looked at her quizzically. Well, that ruled out that Bren had been secretly dating him without her knowledge, at least until last night.

"So what made Booth cause such a scene?" Angela said still not understanding how everything fit together.

"Booth was angry that I hadn't… fully divulged some of my past… activities with him," Brennan said but Angela was not going to let her get away with that.

"Uh huh. You might as well just tell me, Bren. You've known me long enough to know that I'll get it out of you sooner or later." She said and raised her eyebrows at her while crossing her arms across her chest.

"Why does it matter? It isn't important now," she said, still assuming that she could talk her way out of this apparently.

"We're friends, Bren. This is clearly a bigger deal than you would like it to be. Talk to me… or I could just go ask Booth," Angela said more softly. That appeared to be the motivation she needed.

"What I'm about to tell you better not leave this room," she said and Angela tried her best not to smirk as she leaned closer. "Patrick and I… were… married." Brennan closed her eyes on the last word.

"Oh my God! Married? Why didn't you tell me this before? You don't believe in marriage!" She was standing now and staring at her best friend, who still had her eyes closed. "Is that why you slept with him? Is he here now to realize he should never have let you go and now wants you back?" As much as she wanted Brennan to be with Booth, she really just loved for people to be happy. Her best friend was no exception.

"I didn't sleep with Patrick – not back then and not last night," she said defensively.

"You never had sex, but you were married? Is that even legal?" Angela asked seriously. "Why did you marry him?" She watched Brennan's expression change and knew that there was a deeper explanation.

"That's complicated, Angela. I can assure you that Patrick has no romantic inclinations towards me – he's engaged," Angela looked at her disappointedly.

"Okay, so is that why you had sex with Booth? His sexy caveman persona finally made you realize just how much you want him?" Angela was sitting on the edge of her seat waiting to hear the juicy details.

"I don't know where you got your information from, but your sources are _not _credible, Ang. You're mistaken," Brennan said and Angela believed her. Two hot men and she hadn't sealed the deal with either one? Argh!

"I know you went back to Patrick's hotel, and that Booth spent the night," Angela said finally and Brennan looked at her in surprise.

"Were you following me? You had no right!" Brennan was actually irritated with her.

"I'm sorry, Bren, but after what happened yesterday, I wanted to see how everything played out," that didn't sound that reassuring even to her! "Booth was angry, you were acting strangely, and this strange man hugged you… that's not normal, Bren," Angela said hoping that she understood.

"That's not true. Booth is angry often," Brennan said to her and Angela couldn't help but smile.

"Okay, you're right, but he was beyond angry yesterday… and he was jealous," she waited for a reaction from her but it didn't come.

"So does Booth know who he is now?"

"Yes, Ang. We talked about it last night. He's less angry, but he's a little upset that I hadn't talked to him about it before now," Brennan said and Angela realized she really had no idea why that would hurt poor Booth.

"Sweetie, he loves you. With everything you've said about marriage the last few years, for him to then find out you're divorced, it's a little hard to swallow," Angela said and put a hand on Brennan's knee. "So, what did happen with you and Agent Hot Stuff last night?" She said grinning and Brennan just shook her head.

* * *

Booth was headed into the Jeffersonian on a Saturday. He knew Bones was there and he wanted to see her. Naturally he refused to do any work while he was there, but he wasn't against stopping by to distract her for a while. He was surprised to see Angela's car in the parking area though, especially as much as she harped about actually having a social life. He was almost to the platform when he saw Patrick heading towards him. He smiled at him and held out his hand. He shook it without hesitation.

"Hey there, Patrick. You looking for Bones?" he asked him casually.

"Uh, I was – I mean I found her but she was a little busy," he pointed up to her office and noticed that the door was closed. That coupled with Angela's car in the parking lot could only mean one thing.

"Well, in all fairness, she sees Angela every day. I'm sure she wouldn't mind you dropping by. I was just on my way up anyway," Booth offered. He had a new respect for the man so he wanted to show him he was welcome.

Patrick shook his head and removed something from his pocket and handed it to him. "I wanted her to have these, and I forgot to give them to her yesterday." Booth looked down and realized he was holding pictures. He didn't want to pry… well, actually he did, but not in front of him.

"I don't think she really has any pictures from back then, so I thought she might want them," Patrick said almost shyly.

"Thank you. I'm sure she will," Booth said. He really didn't know how Bones would feel about them, but he didn't want to give the guy anything to worry about. "Patrick, she told me about… what happened," Booth said sincerely, "you're a good man." He looked away as if he was uncomfortable and was quiet for what seemed like minutes. Booth didn't know what to say next.

"I know that Tempe doesn't understand why I did what I did for her, without asking for anything in return. I just couldn't – ," he stopped suddenly, obviously emotional. "She was so sad, and jumpy, and always uncomfortable. Even around me as we started spending more time together, I knew something wasn't right. She never told me, you know… I had to figure it out on my own. She's do damn stubborn," Booth couldn't agree with him more in that regard. "I started noticing little things – a mark here or a bruise there, which I wouldn't have thought anything about if she was in sports or something, but she wasn't... her little sister wasn't either. Once I started paying attention, so much was obvious," Patrick was leaning against the platform railing now and the anguish was easy to read on his face.

Booth didn't know why Patrick was suddenly so forthcoming with information, but he was grateful for it. He wasn't sure that Bones would feel the same way, but he wasn't going to say anything on the subject. He remained quiet and let Patrick decide what to tell him. "She missed church one week and I was terrified for her. I kept dropping by her house and they just told me that she was either busy or not home. That happened for almost five days. When I finally saw her I knew something horrible had happened. She looked unharmed physically, but she was so much worse emotionally," Patrick said, and it looked like he was replaying it in his head. He was sort of staring off into space just beyond Booth's head.

"Less than a week after that Tempe came to my house, and I was happy to see her, but she just walked past me into the kitchen. When she turned around she had tears in her eyes and I noticed a red mark along her cheek and neck," Patrick was fighting to hold back tears of his own now and Booth wasn't doing much better. "She let me hug her for a few minutes before silently leaving again." Patrick was looking at him intently now. "I found out later that the time she disappeared was because they had… locked her up," Patrick didn't say any more, but Booth knew he meant one of the trunk incidents. "The second time was because they had locked up the six-year-old, and when Tempe tried to stop them, one of them slapped her and held her up against a wall by her throat," Patrick cleared his throat and wiped his eyes.

"I don't know how she really expected me to stand by and do nothing, you know? It just wasn't me," Patrick said angrily. "I was prepared to do whatever I had to do to get her out of there. I would have loved to save them all, but it just wasn't possible," Booth realized that Patrick felt guilty for that even now. "If Tempe hadn't agreed to marry me, I had other plans in mind. I had thought about everything from helping her run away to murdering them with my bare hands. I like to think that I was a good man, even as a teenager, but I would have done it. She deserved to have somebody on her side, you know?" Patrick looked up now as if just realizing who he had just spilled his guts to. Looking away embarrassed, Patrick straightened himself up and started to walk toward the exit.

"She obviously cares about, Agent Booth. She told me about some of the things you've done for her. That makes you a good man in my book, too. Maybe you can accompany Tempe to my wedding in October? You're more than welcome," Patrick said as he offered Booth as small smile.

Booth was still processing everything Patrick had said. He had wanted to murder those bastards also. He looked down at the forgotten pictures he was still holding in his hand. He weighed his options and decided not to look at them. After their talk last night, he was hoping that she would share them with him voluntarily. He put them in his pocket and walked back out of the Jeffersonian. He would give them to her after dinner and see what transpired.

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**TBC...**


End file.
